User:CarnivalKrewe/sandbox

Formation and First Ball
The Prophets of Persia, founded in 1926, are a New Orleans Mardi Gras Carnival Organization. Their first ball was held on Friday, February 11, 1927, at the Athenaeum in New Orleans. The Prophets of Persia do not parade; however, they hold an annual ball where the season's debutantes are presented as maids and as the Queen of the Court.

The first Queen of the ball of the Prophets of Persia was Miss Leda de la Vergne. The gown worn by Miss Leda de la Vergne as Queen at the ball was a copy of the gown worn by Empress Joséphine at her coronation and was described as being "exquisite." The ball was described as attracting exclusive attention in the social world and "one of the most beautiful Carnivals given in New Orleans in years."

World War II
During World War II, between 1942 and 1945, the Prophets of Persia canceled their balls. Their "postwar Carnival season" ball was announced on Saturday, August 25, 1945, and the ball was held on Saturday, February 23, 1946.

National Emergency
In 1951, "because of the national emergency," the Prophets of Persia canceled their ball. Miss Margaret Gandolfo had been named Queen. This was in response to President Harry S. Truman declaring a "state of emergency" on Saturday, December 16, 1950. The "state of emergency" was due to the "massive Chinese intervention in the Korean War." President Truman proclaimed "Communist imperialism threatened the world's people." In 1952, Prophets of Persia resumed holding their balls. It was their 25th Anniversary Ball.

February 11, 1927

 * Napoleon's court was the setting Friday night for a brilliant Carnival ball staged by the Prophets of Persia in the Athenaeum. It was the Prophets' first annual Mardi Gras celebration.


 * Miss Leda de la Vergne, daughter of Mrs. Marie Louise de la Vergne, was the Empress Joséphine, and the queen of the revel. Miss Alice Pool, Miss Blanche Foster, Miss Mildred McGee and Miss Mildred Brown were maids of honor to the queen.


 * The theme of the ball was "The Ambassadors' Reception at the Court of Napoleon." Costumes, decorations, jewelry and gowns made the ball an outstanding event of the Carnival season.


 * The spectacle opened in Napoleon's throne room at Versailles. Gold thrones for Napoleon and the Empress Joséphine were at one end of the hall, under a canopy of cloth of silver. Walls were hung with heavy purple and gold velour, bearing the insignia of the ancient monarchy.


 * Nobles of France entered in a flittering procession, followed by the entrance of ambassadors of forty-three countries: The United States, Great Britain, Prussia, Holland, Saxony, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, India, Denmark, Mexico, Venice, Argentina, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Brazil, Serbia, Genoa, Dalmatia, Sardinia, Naples, Peru, Arabia, Bohemia, Sicily, Albania, Chile, Bavaria, Etruria, Wurttemberg, Tyrol, Corsica, Martinique, Galicia, Croatia and Malta.


 * Climaxing the spectacle, His Imperial Majesty Napoleon I, Emperor of France, entered with Her Imperial Highness the Empress Joséphine. Napoleon was crowned. He then granted audience to ambassadors.


 * The court ball followed, after the grand march led by Napoleon and Josephine.


 * Parham Werlein was chairman of the reception committee; Dr. A. B. Dinwiddle, vice-chairman; Pierce Walmsley, chairman of the floor committee and Charles H. Hamilton, vice-chairman.


 * The ball was one of the most colorful of the pre-Carnival program of New Orleans' society.


 * Two pages were portrayed by little Miss Elizabeth McClellan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. C. McClelland; and Master Billy Ferguson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Ferguson.

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February 3, 1928

 * A parade of the great periods of early English history, climaxing in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and the reception given in her honor by Lord Leicester at Kenilworth, was the theme of the pageant presented by the Prophetts of Persia at their annual Carnival ball Friday night at the Athenaeum. Miss Mary Hall Tupper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Geddings Tupper, ruled the court as Queen Elizabeth.


 * The ladies of the queen's court were Miss Elise Mary Derbes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Derbes; Miss Eliska Tobin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Tobin; Miss Marcelle Coyle, daughter of Mrs. Corinne Dessommes D'Aquin; Miss Marie Louise Miltenberger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Miltenberger. The pages were Elizabeth McClellan, little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. C. McClellan, and R. E. LeCorgne, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. LeCorgne.


 * The decorations of the ballroom reproduced the famous gardens of Kenilworth. The episode represented one of the most magnificent of the receptions given in honor of Elizabeth during her reign, the representatives of the early periods of English history being ushered in by Lord Leicester preparatory to the dance led by the queen. Leading the parade were the ancient Britons, headed by Druids and harping bards, who typified British tradition and the sturdiness of the earliest English inheritance. The Britons were clothed in wolf's skin and wore chaplets of oak leaves.


 * Next came the Roman centurions typifying the Latin note introduced into British civilization after Caesar's crossing of the channel. Then came the Saxons, then the Normans led by William the Conqueror, who introduced the age of chivalry into England.


 * The Druids, the Romans, the Saxons and the Normans joined with the nobles and ladies of the queen's train in the opening dance of the ball.


 * Charles H. Hamilton was chairman of the floor committee, and Lacy Richeson vice-chairman. Parham Werlein was chairman of the reception committee and Dr. A. B. Dinwiddie vice-chairman.

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February 2, 1929

 * Miss Rosemary Denechaud, Queen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Denechaud. The maids were Miss Beecye Casanas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Casanas; Miss Josephine Colari, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. John Solari; Miss Mariette Gilchrist, daughter of Mrs. Frank Gilchrist; Miss Helen Dunbar, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James V. Dunbar. The pages of the court were Betty Lorch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Lorch, Jr., and Dorothy Dabney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ewing Dabney.

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